Exercise device with tethered projectile



y 6, 1959 R. H. SORENSEN 3,442,510

EXERCISE DEVICE WITH TETHERED PROJECTILE Filed Sept. 6, 1966 Sheet of 2 ROALD H. ORENEN INVENTOR.

ATTORNE).

May 6, 1969 H. SORENSEN 3,442,510

EXERCISE DEVICE WITH TETHERED PROJECTILE Filed Sept. 6, 1966 Sheet 2 of 2 2 LE] \J ROALD H- SORENS N E INVENTOR' L: BY 59 ATTORNEY.

United States Patent 3,442,510 EXERCISE DEVICE WITH TETHERED PROJECTILE Roald H. Sorensen, Buies Creek, N.C. 27506 Filed Sept. 6, 1966, Ser. No. 577,224 Int. Cl. A63b 69/00 US. Cl. 273-26 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A practicing device for batting a ball tethered on an elastomer member with screens to protect the user and to control the return flight of such ball.

This invention relates to amusement devices and more particularly to exercise devices adapted to assist its users in developing greater skills in ball-type games.

The use of tethered balls for exercise and practice devices is well known in the art. Also the use of balls on an elastic tether is old. The development, however, of an accurate means of controlling the flight and return of a ball on an elastic tether has been inadequate at best. Further when a ball of the prior art devices was not accurately struck, there was no way of anticipating its erratic flight which in many instances would return in such a manner as to strike a person using the device or keep him in such fear of being struck that full development of his skill could not be realized. The prior art devices were also cumbersome and practically immobile thereby eliminating full advantage from being taken thereof.

After much experimentation, applicant has developed an improved exercise device having a sturdy frame of simple construction which is easily assembled and disassembled as well as being at all times readily movable from one location to another. The device also has an improved means for adjusting the height of the ball as well as means to prevent the user thereof from being hit or being distracted by worrying of being hit by the ball on its return.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an exercise device having a tethered ball with means for preventing the player from being struck or distracted by worrying about being struck by the ball on its return flight.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tethered ball exercising device having an adjustment means for adjusting the height of the ball from the ground.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a readily movable tethered ball exercising device.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a tethered ball exercising device of simple, sturdy construction which may be easily assembled and disassembled.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent and obvious from a study of the following description and the accompanying drawings which are merely illustrative of the present invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the exercising device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective of the upper frame assembly joint;

FIG. 3 is an exploded view of the lower frame assembly joint;

FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is an end view thereof.

With further reference to the drawings, two club shaped lower frame members and 10 are provided which are releasably secured at their lower extremity to interme- "Ice diate frame 11 by means of set screws 12 and 12'. To g1ve added strength to the union between intermediate frame 11 and lower frames 10 and 10', lower insert sleeves l3 and 13 are provided which are fixedly secured to intermediate frame 11, particularly as disclosed in FIG. 3.

In close proximity to the bend portions of lower frames 10 and 10' are parallelly disposed strut members 14 and 14' which are releasably mounted to frames 10 and 10' respectively. On the outer ends of struts 14 and 14' are mounted caster wheels 15 which allow the device of the present invention to be readily mobile when in assembled position.

Securing means such as bolts 16 may be used to fasten struts 14 and 14' to frames 10 and 10'. From a position near the ends of struts 14 and 14' are releasably secured upwardly projecting pairs of support brackets 17 and 1 The upper ends of each of these pairs of brackets are releasably secured to lower frames 10 and 10' by means such as bolts 18 and 18' which engage brackets 19 and 19' which in turn are fixedly secured to said lower frame members.

Elbow inserts 20 and 20 are releasably and adjustably secured to the upper ends of lower frames 10 and 10' respectively, by means such as pairs of set screws 21 and 21'.

Second sets of set screws 22 and 22' are provided in the lower ends respectively of upper frame members 23 and 23'. The purpose of these set screws is to releasably and adjustably secure said upper frame members to the upper portion of elbow inserts 20 and 20'.

The innermost and interiorly facing end portions of upper frames 23 and 23' are secured together by means of upper insert sleeve 24 which is held releasably in place by means of set screws 25 and 25', particularly as shown in FIG. 2.

Once the overall frame, indicated generally at 26, has been assembled as described above, it is now ready to be rigged. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, screens are provided such as those disclosed at 27 and 27 which may be made of either mesh, netting, or other fabrics, or even a solid panel such as plywood, fiber glass, or the like. Lacing, such as that disclosed at 28, has been found satisfactory to secure screens 27 and 27' in place when fabrics are used as such screens. There are, of course, many other means of securing screen means to a frame other than said lacings. To prevent the screen means from sliding relative to the frame members, eyelets may be secured to said members such as those disclosed at 29.

Fixedly secured to the interior of elbow inserts 20 and 20 are eyelets 30 and 30' respectively. To each of these eyelets is secured a lead 31 and 31' to which is secured an adjusting means such as turnbuckles 32 and 32'. Connected between the interior ends of each of said turnbuckles is an elastic tether 33 in the center of which is fixedly secured a ball or other aerial projectile 34. When mounting the tether 33 onto the turnbuckles 32 and 32', said tether should pass in front of screen means 27 and 27', particularly as shown in FIG 4.

In actual operation of the exercise device of the present invention, the participant stands at the rear of the device which is the side shown in FIG. 1. The ball or projectile 34 may be pulled rearwardly by the participant until the elastic tether 33 is sufficiently stretched to cause said projectile to rapidly pass between screen means 27 and 27 when it is released. The ball will travel to the limit of the tether 33 and then return between the screens at which point the participant may propel the ball outwardly again by striking it with a tennis racket, baseball bat, badminton racket, or any other desired striking means or he may catch the projectile. In any case, the fact that tethered line 33 strikes screen means 27 and 27 as it 3 passes therebetween on its rearwardly flight controls and limits the area in which the participant must make contact with the projectile. On the other hand, as a projectile moves forward the elastic tether 33 disengages screen means 27 and 27' as the projectile passes therebetween thereby allowing it to move further in a forward direction than in the rearward direction. In other words, when a projectile is moving in a forward direction, there is more unobstructed elastic tether than when the projectile moves in a rearward direction since, in the latter case, part of the tether engages screen means 27 and 27.

It is obvious from the above description that the screen means 27 and 27' serve a dual purpose of first controlling and limiting the rearward flight of the ball or projectile 34 and secondly, it reassures the participant using the exercise device that he will not be struck by the ball due to the psychological effect of standing behind a screen. Two screens are necessary since the participant may be either left handed, right handed or ambidextrous.

If, during the use of the device, the participant wishes to raise or lower the flight of the projectile he may do so by either loosing or tighten adjustment means 32 and 32 which in turn either tightens or loosens elastic tether.

The present invention also has the advantage of providing a tethered projectile with a controlled rearward flight so that the projectile consistingly comes within the reach of the participant. From the foregoing description, it will also be obvious that a sturdy, easily assembled and disassembled exercising device is provided which is readily movable from on location to another while in the assembled, operative configuration.

The terms upper, lower, front, rear, and so forth have been used herein merely for the convenience of the foregoing specification and the appended claims to describe the exercise device of the present invention and its parts as oriented in the drawing. It is to be understood, however, that these terms are in no way limiting to the invention since the device may obviously be disposed in many different positions when in use.

The present invention may, of course, be carried out in other specific ways than those herein set forth without departing from the spirit and essential characteristics of the invention. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, and all changes coming within the meaning and equivalency range of the appended claims are intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

1. An exercise device comprising a pair of club-shaped lower frame members having upper and lower portions; means for releasably securing the lower portions of said frame members in longitudinal alignment; a pair of upper frame members having upper and lower portions; means for releasably securing the upper portions of said upper members in longitudinal alignment; means for releasably securing the upper portions of said lower members to the lower portions of said upper members thereby forming an enclosed frame; an elastic tether means extending between said last mentioned means; a projectile means centrally mounted intermediate the ends of said tether means; screen means secured between said lower frame members and said upper frame members whereby the travel of said projectile will be more restricted in passing through the opening formed by said frame members and said screens in one direction than in the other due to said tether means engaging said screen means; and means for supporting said exercise device in a generally upright position.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein means are provided for adjusting the length of said tether means whereby the height of the projectile in rest position may be adjusted.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein said support means comprises at least one horizontally disposed support bracket secured to said lower portion of said lower frame; said bracket having wheel means mounted at the ends thereof whereby said exercise device may readily be moved from one location to another.

4. An exercise device comprising an enclosed frame having end portions and upper and lower portions; at

- least one screen means of sufficient horizontal and vertical extent to protect a user standing therebehind from being struck by the projectile on its return flight disposed between and secured to said upper and said lower portions intermediate a mid-point between said end portions and one of said ends; means connected between said upper and said lower portions intermediate said central point and the other end portion of said frame; tether means, at least part of which is elastic, extending between said end portions intermediate said upper and said lower portions; and projectile means mounted generally in the center of said tether means whereby said projectile will travel a greater distance in one direction in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane passing through said upper and said lower members than it will in the opposite direction due to the restriction of said screen means and said means connected between said upper and said lower frame.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein means are provided for adjusting the length of said tether means whereby the height of the projectile in rest position may be adjusted.

6. An exercise device comprising an enclosed frame having upper and lower portions and first and second end portions; at least one obstruction means of sufficient horizontal and vertical extent to protect a user standing therebehind from being struck by the projectile on its return flight symmetrically spaced between said upper and said lower portions intermediate said end portions; and a projectile centrally mounted on a tether means disposed between said end portions, at least part of which is elastic, whereby said projectile may travel a distance greater in one direction in a vertical plane perpendicular to the plane formed by said frame due to the restraining affect of said obstructed means on said tether than in the other direction.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein said obstructing means are screen means of substantial area.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein wheel means are connected to the lower portion whereby said frame is mobile.

9. The device of claim 6 wherein means are provided for adjusting the at rest length of said tether means whereby the height of the projectile in rest position may be adjusted. References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,310,306 3/1967 Burt 273-58 X RICHARD C. PINKHAM, Primary Examiner.

THEATRICE BROWN, Assistant Examiner. 

